It is known in the art that some algae have medicinal properties. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,252 to Moigne discloses a method of obtaining an antibacterial extract from the algae known as Bonnemczisoniacea. U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,233 to Hervéet al. discloses drugs based on extracts of the brown algae known as Bifurcaria Rotunda, Fucus Vesiculosus, Ascophyllum Nodosum, Pelvetia Canaliculata and the red algae known as Delesseria Sanguinea. 
The above-mentioned patents contain examples of extracts derived from seaweeds or macroalgae, which are multicellular and usually visible to the naked eye. Although seaweeds and phytoplankton both belong in the Kingdom Protista, they are in separate Phyla.
Marine phytoplankton, also known as marine microalgae, comprises hundreds of species of photosynthetic, unicellular organisms belonging to the Kingdom Protista. Temperate coastal waters, such as those along the province of British Columbia in Canada, are highly productive and support a diverse array of microalgae species from numerous Classes, including primary producers called diatoms (Class Bacillariophyceae). Every spring, when conditions of light, nutrients, and mixing are optimal for growth, diatoms grow rapidly in the euphotic zone of the ocean (the upper 20 meters). This event is known as the “spring bloom”. During this period, many species take advantage of the enhanced conditions but generally three diatom genera are the most successful Skeletonema, Thalassiosira, and Chaetoceros. 